The NYSC Ondo State Coordinator, Mrs. Victoria Nnenna Ani has asserted that academic qualifications with acquisition of skills will guarantee a secure future for graduate youths.
The State Coordinator made this assertion when she flagged-off the opening ceremony of 2023 Batch 'A' (Stream II) Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) in-camp programme.
Mrs. Ani disclosed that the NYSC management in her wisdom introduced the intervention in 2012 as a means to reduce the high unemployment rate in the country which has greatly eroded the confidence of the graduate youths in the system.
"It is to efface this bleak and dreary picture that the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme was carefully designed in 2012 to equip corps members with hands-on training and entrepreneurship skill in order to be self-reliant and to contribute to the accelerated growth of the nation's economy".
"My vibrant and ever resourceful children I am proud of, you are extremely lucky set of people to benefit from this ingenuity of the NYSC. The noble Scheme has designed an in-camp training which is relatively free for you to acquire a skill or two that will make you Independent and indispensable during and after the service year".
"Do not despise the little beginning and I want you to take advantage of the opportunity offered you to shift from looking for a paid job into becoming employers of labour. Great Entrepreneurs like Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Chief Femi Otedola, Otunba Mike Adenuga and Tony Elumelu started small but today, they have become household names in the country and outside the shores of African continent".
She disclosed that the unemployment rate in the country is in the region of 37.7 percent and may likely rise to 41 percent in 2023 while available data showed that most young graduates lack the requisite practical skills to compete for available jobs nationally and internationally.
According to the State Coordinator, the SAED programme is designed to implement in-camp training for nine days, at no cost and post-camp training for the rest of the service year and advised them to contact their Local Government Inspector, Zonal Inspector or Head of SAED for proper guidance on how to locate and engage the trainers after the orientation camp.
The NYSC Ondo State boss announced that presently the programme has 12 skills which included Agro-Allied, Food Processing and Preservation, Power and Energy, Construction, Automobile, Education but added that plans have reached advanced stage to add more skills.
"I am glad to inform you that we have successfully reviewed the skill-sets and have added all those contemporary skills which are in demand world over, including some of the 21st Century information Tech skills. Please, be assured that very soon these skills will be unveiled to you and I want to encourage you to latch on this opportunity instead of waiting for elusive white collar jobs".
The NYSC helmsman in the Sunshine State disclosed that NYSC management in collaboration with financial institutions and empowerment organisations are making available grants and other loans available to corps members with bankable proposal to launch them into the world of opportunities.
The Assistant Director/Head, SAED, Mr. Olugbenga Justus Adefehinti encouraged the corps members not to allow the opportunity to pass them by as they are academically qualified and privileged to benefit from the intervention.
The Trainers/Facilitators were introduced to the corps members to make an informed decision of which of the skills they have passion for while ex-corps and serving corps members shared their testimonies and the opportunity they have accessed for keying in into the programme.
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